The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-08-27
THE KERNEL AND THE HUSK.*

gyman of the Established Church. 1t
is in the line Of former work of the
same writer, Through Nature to
Christ" and is an attempt to portray
and explain Christianity without mir
acles, holding them as non-essential to
a belief in Christ. The work is well
described in a phrase of the author not
intended for this purpose it is simply
"a literary theology and Christology."
The author "begs all those who wor-
'ship a miraculous Christ, without
"doubt or difficulty" to pause at his
preface, land read no further" What
his advice would be to those who do
not worship Christ, and yet cleave to
his divinity, on the ground of his own
teaching, and the historic credibility Of
the New Testament, does not appear.
1.-The Kernel and the Husk" is likely
to attract attention on account of the
eminent position of the author in the
Church Of England, and also for some
features which place it at a wide re-
move from other works which attempt
to establish a non-miraculous Christ
ianity. Tits in the form Of correspond
ence with a friend whose opinions are
in transition state, and who declares
that eff miracles fall, the Bible falls;
land with the fall of the Bible lose
"Christ; and if I must regard Christ
''as fanatic / do not see how 1 can
"believe in God who suffered such
lone as Christ thus to be deceived and
''to deceive Others" DR.. Abbott's task
is to show that a faith in Christ is
quite independent of any belief in the
miraculous; and that our Lord ''may
remain necessary object Of worship
even though we detach the miracles
from the gospel" Generally when
such a task as this is attempted, the
supernatural is boldly denied, and the
matter argued on the ground of nat
uralism, pure and simple. This is not
DR.. Abbott's method. He does not
deny the supernatural. On the con-
trary there is an insistent appeal
throughout the volume that the super
natural embraces the highest reality
but he uses the term with reference to
the existence of God and to the divine
creation and continuous development
of all things; 1.-THE divine action being
regarded, not as contrary to nature, but
as above nature; not as suspending
the sequences of nature, but as origin
ating and supporting Them" In con-
nection with this explanation we gain
an insight into the authors view of
miracle. Singularly enough he falls into
the old error, against which intelligent
scholars have long protested, that mir
acles involve suspension of the laws
of nature, definition which would not
now be accepted by any intelligent the
ologian, and on this ground he rears an
argument against them. Although an
eminent teacher himself, DR.. Abbott
might be taught considerable on this
particular point.
The New Testament, under the au-
thOr's treatment, becomes book of sto-
ries and legends Of about as little con-
sequence or authority as the Koran, or
the volumes of folk lore of the north
ern nations. Regarding miracles as
contravening natural law, DR.. Abbott
brushes them aside with very little
concern. He does not treat them as
matters on which evidence may be sum-
moned, pro and con, but remands them
at once to the category of tradition and
superstition, denying them outright in
a very summary manner. Even the
resurrection Of Jesus never occurred
as the evaDgelists state-all is delusion
or Illusion and when this is denied,
we may conclude that the other mir
acles of the gospels are not in the au-
thor's way. These are the "husks"
which he makes away with to reach the
KERNEL" which he describes as esprit
ual Christianity''-a vague and unsat-
isfactory term for something that re-
mains after the record in which it was
conveyed to mankind is discredited.
One confession which DR.. Abbott
makes is highly suggestive in connec-
ton with the drift of his volume. He
says in his preface very candidly that
he "does not profess to clear Christian
fly of all difficulties. We should
think not AS matter of exact fact
the difficulties" that surround DR..
Abbott's non-miraculous Christianity,
or his view of Christ and his message
to mankind, while denying the credi-
bility Of the record we have of both,
are far more numerous and strenuous
than those which surround the histor-
ical gospels. In other words, it is easier
and more natural to accept the New
Testament, the miracles embodied
therein, than to retain belief in Christ
or Christianity with the record thus
impeached and dishonored. DR.. Alb
bolt holds a very high estimate of our
Lord, and sincerely believes in him
sT14H KRRnET Ann UHR HUsK I,atters on